Building skeleton of precast modular units with assembly adjunct



July 68' A. E. Q- VAN HEZIK IL ING SKELETON OF PRECAST MODULAR WITH ASSEMB Y ADJ Filed Oct. 5. 1967 m4. 1 2 7 w m u V l I 3 k 4 Q"\\\ M I'll INVENTOR flmlA/vusfiQ. VAN/952m ATT NEY United States Patent 3,392,496 BUILDING SKELETON 0F PRECAST MODULAR UNITS WITH ASSEMBLY ADJUNCT Adrianus E. Q. van Hezik, Staringstraat 11, Nijmegen, Netherlands Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 417,281, Dec. 10, 1964. This application Oct. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 673,537

2 Claims. (Cl. 52-127) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a skeleton for a building having a plurality of stories, comprising vertical transverse walls and longitudinal beams vertically spaced the height of a story and connecting the transverse walls to each other. Each transverse wall for each story consists of a foremost and a rearmost flank member and an intermediate wall part located between said flank members, the width of said flank members for each story decreasing in downward direction to such a degree that at the major base of each flank member a surface portion is left free after superpositioning of an upper ffank member. Said free surface portions of the major base of the flank members is used for supporting rail means for a hoisting apparatus as long as the superimposed flank members one story higher are not yet connected to each other by an intermediate wall part.

This invention relates to a skeleton framework for a multi-story building of the type including a plurality of vertical walls arranged in parallel and this application constitutes a oontinuation-in-part of application S.N. 417,281, filed Dec. 10. 1964, now abandoned.

When erecting high buildings, for instance blocks of flats having skeleton frameworks consisting of prefabricated beams and wall panels, it is necessary to use scaffolding and tower cranes or other cranes of considerable height. This has two disadvantages, namely that the construction costs are high for a high building and that the height to which it is feasible to build is undesirably restricted on account of the increased danger of buckling of a high crane.

It is an object of the present invention to reduce the above disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided a three-dimensional skeleton framework for a multi-story building of the type including a plurality of vertical walls arranged in parallel, the skeleton framework comprising a plurality of vertical columns arranged to form the ends of the vertical walls and a plurality of horizontal beams secured to the vertical columns and extending between them so as to interconnect adjacent walls, the spacing between the beams on each column being the height of one story and each column comprising a plurality of members of height equal to the height of one story assembled on top of one another, the sides of the members directed inwardly of the building being undercut so that the bottom of each member terminates at a point situated outwardly of the building from the top of the member immediately below it, thus forming a plurality of horizontal steps in the columns at the top surfaces of the members on which rail means for hoisting apparatus can be supported.

With this arrangement, the building materials necessary for assembly of the building can be raised at each point where they are required by means of hoisting apparatus supported on the horizontal steps. The skeleton itself may act as scaffolding and if desired as a guide for step-form shuttering into which concrete can be poured to form the central parts of the vertical walls.

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An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, whose single figure shows a perspective view of part of the skeleton for a block of flats.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a skeleton framework for a multi-story building of the type including a plurality of vertical walls arranged in paralled. The framework includes a plurality of vertical columns arranged to form the ends of the vertical walls and these columns are made up of a plurality of trapezium-shaped members, of height equal to the height of one story of the building, assembled on top of one another. The drawing shows a number of vertical walls, the left-hand ends of which are formed by columns comprising trapeziumshaped members 1, while their right-hand ends are formed of columns comprising trapezium-shaped members 2. The

members 1 are interconnected by horizontal beams 3 and the members 2 are interconnected by horizontal beams 4, the beams 3 and 4 being vertically spaced from one another by the height of one story. The beams 3 and 4 may be of L-shaped section so that they can serve as balconies or galleries.

As explained, the members 1 and 2 are trapeziumshaped, and their sides directed inwardly of the building are undercut, as shown. The effect of this is that the bottom of each member 1 or 2 directed inwardly of the building terminates at a point situated outwardly of the building from the top of the member 1 or 2 immediately below it. The columns are thus formed with a plurality of horizontal, undercut steps, the steps occurring at the top surfaces of the members 1 and 2.

In order to complete the vertical walls, trapeziumshaped blocks of concrete 9 may be placed between the members 1 and 2. These blocks 9 may advantageously be cast in situ, using moulds of step-form shuttering.

Owing to the use of the trapezium-shaped members 1 and 2 to form the vertical columns, erection of the building is made particularly easy. As explained, when two members 1 (or 2) have been assembled, a horizontal step is formed between them in the column which they form. During erection of the building pairs of corresponding steps on opposite columns are used to support hoisting apparatus constituted by winch drums 8 mounted on a girder 5. A further girder 6 is shown in the drawing on which further winch drums 8 could be mounted. The girders 5 and 6 are supported on the steps formed by the top surfaces of the members 1 and 2 by means of jacks comprising columns 10 and further the girders are provided with triangular supports 12 constituting legs. For allowing the legs 12 to be raised with respect to the columns 10 said legs are located in a transverse plane spaced in longitudinal direction of the building from the transverse plane comprising columns 10.

One advantageous way of making use of the steps at the top surfaces of the members 1 and 2 is to mount rails 7 upon them to allow travel of the girdlers 5 and 6 carrying the winch drums 8 lengthwise of the building. For this purpose the two girders 5 and 6 may be connected together by bars 11 to form a rigid assembly (see the lower broken line position of the girder 5 in the drawing) and the supports 12 would have wheels fitted at their bases to allow them to travel along the rails 7. When this is done, the building can be erected story by story by moving the winch drums 8 on the girders 5 and 6 along the length of one story of the biulding and using them to raise such materials as are necessary at each point to continue erection of the building. To allow this the rails 7 would of course need to extend the whole length of the building. Among the materials needed during assembly of the building are of course the concrete blocks 9 and these, as explained above, are advantageously cast in situ. The

winch drums 8 are therefore used to raise the moulds of step-form shuttering used for moulding the blocks 9. If a high wind is blowing, the moulds can he slid upwards along the windward surfaces of the columns formed by the members 1 and 2, thus preventing the moulds being blown about and rendering raising them much easier.

After a story of the building has been completed, the girders and 6 at their new height, the columns are raised to allow erection of the next story. The position after completion of a story is that the columns supporting the girders 5 and 6 have their bases on the steps at the top surfaces of the second-from-top members 1 and 2, i.e. the girders 5 and 6 are in the position shown in broken lines in the drawings. For raising the-girders 5 and 6 the jacks 10 are provided each adjacent a leg 12. These jacks may comprises columns each provided with a vertically disposed rack 13. The horizontal girders 5 and 6 supported by the legs 12, carries sprockets (no-t shown) meshing with the racks 13 and by means of which the columns 10 may be raised or lowered with respect to legs 12. In the broken line position the columns 10 are raised with respect to legs 12 to the level of the top faces of the uppermost flank members 1 and 2 and thereafter the legs 12 together with the girders 5, 6 may be raised to the rails 7 supported on the top face of said uppermost flank members as shown in full lines and for hoisting the next pair of flank members and two longitudinal beams 3 and 4 for connecting said beams to said flank members and to complete the next story.

After the columns 10 have been used to support the girders 5 and 6 at their new height, the columns are raised from the top members 1 and 2 to allow further members 1 and 2 raised by the winch drums 8 to be placed at the tops of the members 1 and 2. Assembly of the next story from members 1 and 2, beams 3 and 4 blocks of concrete 9 then continues.

Instead of assembling the building story by story by moving the girders 5, 6 carrying the winch drums 8 horizontally along each story and raising the materials required at each point, the girders 5 and 6 could be moved in a vertical plane only, between a pair of columns made up of the members 1 and 2. Upward movement of girders 5 and 6 would be achieved by the jacks 10 in the manner described above, the jacks 10 being raised from the tops of the members 1, 2 after the girders 5 and 6 have been supported at a new height by the legs 12 to allow the positioning of additional members 1 and 2 on top of the columns. Thus the columns are built up step by step as the girders 5 and 6 are moved up them. When this technique is used, the bars 11 can be dispensed with.

What I claim is:

1. A skeleton for a building having a plurality of stories, comprising a plurality of vertical walls disposed in spaced parallel relation and extending from the front to the rear of the building, each wall including a series of interconnected units, said units comprising front and rear pre-cast flank members joined by an intermediate filler member and each unit being the height of one story,

front and rear horizontal beams extending normal to the planes of the vertical walls joining said front and rear flank members respectively,

the inwardly directed edges of each flank member sloping outwardly from the upper to the lower edge of the member, the wider upper edge constituting a major base and the narrower lower edge, a minor base, the minor base of each flank member resting upon the major base of an underlying flank member, each intermediate filler member being of trapezoidal shape with the outwardly directed edges thereof sloping outwardly from the top edge to the bottom edge, the sloping edges of the flank members and the filler members being joined together,

the opposite ends of the lower edge of each inter mediate member being supported on those portions of the major base of the underlying flank members exposed inwardly of the minor base of the superposed flank members.

2. The skeleton of claim 1 including spaced parallel rail means disposed on the inner portions of the major bases of pairs of flank members, a movable hoisting apparatus disposed on said rail means, said hoisting apparatus including jacking means whereby the hoisting apparatus may be elevated successively from story to story of the skeleton.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,618,146 11/1952 Ciarlini 52236 X 3,201,907 8/1965 Henderson 52-236 X 3,260,025 7/1966 Van Der Lely 52236 X OTHER REFERENCES Engineering News-Record, May 11, 1961, pp. 38, 39, copy in Group 35651236.

HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner. 

